Glabrous, spreading shrub, up to 3 m. Leaves clustered near the ends of the branches; petiole up to 24 cm, narrowly channelled above, 2-3 (or 5) mm wide, with a sheathing base prolonged as a membranous stipular ligule up to 2.5 cm long, and usually with fimbriate, ± entire, or more rarely long-setose crests encircling the lower part of the petiole; blade up to 20 cm ø digitately compound (or the bases of the leaflets joined by a very short web of tissue); leaflets 9-13, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, gradually narrowed to the base and apex, up to 20 by 3 cm, usually much narrower, margin serrate, principle veins numerous, c. 5-10 mm apart. Inflorescence terminal, hemispherical, c. 6-13 cm ø; peduncle 1-2 cm or shorter, with caducous lanceolate-ovate entire or fimbriate bracts mostly clustered below the primary rays, 1-1.5 cm long; primary rays rather few (5-12), 2½-4 cm long, with 2 ovate bracts at the apex, c. 8 mm long, each ray ending in three branches; central branch c. 5-12 mm, bearing an umbel of c. 6-16 sterile, globose, bacciform flowers, c. 3-5 mm ø (when dry) with pedicels 4-5 mm long and 5-celled; the two lateral branches 1.5-3 cm long at anthesis, articulated about the middle, terminating in a small head of c. 20-25 sessile flowers with minute rounded bracts. Calyx rim obsolete; corolla splitting into few irregular lobes above, tubular below, c. 1.5-2 mm long; stamens 5-6, slightly exserted; ovary turbinate, angled, c. 1 mm long, 5-celled, disk with a central raised boss formed by the pustulate stigmas. Fruit globose, fleshy (ribbed when dry) c. 5 mm ø.
Characteristic of rocky river banks, not beyond flood-level, often in deep shade, from near sea-level to 950 m.
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